Sustainability

Steel possesses very strong sustainability credentials, key amongst which is its recyclability - steel can be recycled and reused endlessly without compromising its impressive physical properties. Worldwide, it is estimated that 90% of steel from demolition sites is returned to steel mills for recycling. What’s more, steel possesses many other sustainable features.

Extending building life

Extending the life of a structure enables more value to be extracted from the resources invested to build, operate and maintain it. Steel’s inherent flexibility makes it the material of choice for renovating and refurbishing buildings, for example:

Steel can be easily recovered at the deconstruction phase and reused or recycled.

Worldwide, it is estimated that 90% of steel from demolition
sites is returned to steel mills for recycling

Competitive emissions profile

Carbon emissions are an important factor in measuring sustainable performance, and steel stacks up.

A Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry-commissioned report1 demonstrated that, on a whole-of-life basis, steel’s environmental performance compares favourably to other materials such as concrete and timber

Thermal mass acts as a heat sink, tempering a building’s internal environment by reducing and delaying the onset of peak temperatures. Put simply, it keeps the building cooler in summer and warmer in winter and reduces reliance on air-conditioning. Optimal thermal performance over a 24-hour period is achieved using only a 100mm-thick floor slab. All forms of steel-concrete composite construction meet this requirement.